Molasses mixing tank



Dec. 16, 1952 A. w. STAUFFER MOLASSES MIXING TANK Filed June 9, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 I NVENTOR. AM/VOM W 5714UFFE Dec. 16, 1952 A. w. STAUFFER MOLASSES MIXING TANK Filed June 9, 1950 2 SI-lEETS--SHEET 2 INVENTOR. AMMOM W. 5740/0 15 Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOLASSES MIXING TANK Amman W. Stauffer, MartindalaPa.

Application June 9, 1950, Serial No. 167,045

3 Claims. l

This invention relates to feed mixers and more particularly to an automatic apparatus for mixing molasses or other nutrient liquids into grain or stock feeds.

This mixer in its preferred form will be added as a unit to the portable automotive mill that is so commonly used by the farmer today. Thus with slight modifications to the present form of automotive mill the ground feed coming out of the mill may be emptied into a collector and the collector will in turn force the ground feed into the mixing tank. The mixer is so constructed that the drive mechanism for the mill may be connected by means 'of the necessary shafts and drive chains and sprockets to drive the mixer. A molasses tank is connected to the mixer and by means of a perforated inlet pipe and a valve the molasses or nutrient liquid may be introduced into the mixing tank and sprayed on the initial charge of the ground feed as it enters the mixer. The mixer is so designed that the ground feed charged therein will be thoroughly mixed by the action of a plurality of radial rotor blades having a conveyor pitch. The blades are divided into two groups although mounted on a single central shaft. One group tends to force the feed from the charging end toward the center of the mixer while the other group tends to force the feed from the opp site end of the mixed toward the center. In addition a vertical enclosed conveyor is positioned at the center of the mixing tank carrying the feed to the top of the tank where it is dumped upon a pair of fiinger blades where the feed will be in turn forced outward toward either end of the mixing tank. Thus the feed will fall upon either end of the radial rotor mixing blades and continue to be mixed in the same cycle as described.

It is an object of this invention to provide a feed mixer with a single rotor provided with two sets of radial blades, each set having an opposite conveyor pitch so that the feed within the mixing tank will be forced from either end toward the center.

A further object of this invention is to provide a feed mixer that is provided with a vertical enclosed conveyor and a plurality of fiinger blades at the top of the conveyor so that the feed wihin the mixer may be lifted and spread out toward either end of said mixing tank for further mixing.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a forced feed inlet to a mixing tank in combination with a molasses charging perforated pipe to spray the molasses on the feed as it is charged into the mixing tank.

Another object of this invention is to provide a feed mixing tank that is formed with a round trough at the bottom of said tank and in which a single rotor is mounted across the complete trough area of said tank and in which a plurality of paddle shaped radial blades are afiixed to said rotor and are mounted in two groups, the blades of one group having a conveyor pitch in one direction while the blades of the other group have a conveyor pitch in an opposite direction so that the rotor whileturning the mix through the trough area alsopropels: the feed being mixed from both ends of 'said..:tank toward the center thereof and a conveyor positioned at the center to elevate the feed and spread the feed outward back onto the opposite ends of the tank to continue the mixing operation.

Other objects of this invention may be apparent by referring to the accompanying detailed description and the drawings in which Fig. 1 illustrates a plan view of the mixer,

Fig. 2 illustrates an end elevational view of the mixer,

Fig. 3 illustrates a cross sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a pair of rotor blades,

Fig. 6 is an end view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is an end view taken on line 7-1 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the complete apparatus and in this particular instance I have shown the apparatus as mounted to a frame extension in of a portable automotive mill (not shown). With such a mill the center shaft II of the mill may be utilized as the main drive shaft for the mixer. A tank 12 is supported on one side of the frame ID. The particular arrangement and positioning of the tank in this instance is due to the mill and its conveyors that must be mounted adjacent tothe mixer. The general arrangement illustrated-is to provide a compact mill and mixer unit mounted on the same frame 10. The tank I2 is illustrated with a round troughlike base portion and at one end of said tank [2 there is a collector unit I5. The collector unit is illustrated with a hopper mouth formation [6 which converges into an inlet that is located directly over a worm conveyor 11, the worm conveyor being mounted within a housing and the housme being affixed to the side of the tank I2. The worm conveyor I1 is provided with an extended shaft [9 at one end thereof, the shaft I9 being mounted in a bearing 20. This supports the Worm so that the opposite end may project into an inlet opening 2| in the side of the tank I2. Shaft I8 at its bearing end is provided with a sprocket 22 and a chain 23 is mounted about the sprocket 22 while a sprocket 24 is mounted on the main drive shaft so that the chain 23 may be mounted about the sprocket 24.

Thus the shaft I I will provide the power to drive sprocket 24, that may be keyed thereto, and the chain 23 and sprocket 22 and in turn shaft I9, that may be keyed to sprocket 22, and thus drive the worm ll. Thus it is apparent that the feed that is ground and charged into the collector I will by means of the hopper l6 be stored above the housing It and worm [1. With the op- K eration of the main drive shaft II it is apparent that the worm I1 will be rotated in a proper direction to force the feed that enters the housing I8 along the housing and through the inlet port 2| and be charged into the tank I2. The tank I2 is provided with a rotor shaft mounted centrally through the trough area I4 of the tank. Shaft" 30 is also provided with a sprocket 3| on the exterior of the tank |.2. A speed reducer 32 is positioned adjacent to the power driven shaft II and by means of a pair of pinion gears '45 and 4.6 the speed reducer may be driven directly from the power shaft (not. shown) The speed reducer is in turn. connected by means of: a sprocket 33, a chain 34- and a sprocket 35 to a countershaft 35. The countershaft 36 is provided with another sprocket 31 which is connected by means of a chain 38 to a sprocket 39 that is affixed to the rotor shaft 30. Thus although the drive shaft may be driven at a high R. P. M. by means of the speed reducer and the connected sprockets and chains, it is possible to drive rotor shaft 30 at a slow rate and with considerable power due to the speed reduction. Shaft 30 is provided with a plurality of rotor blades 40. The rotor blades are arranged in two sets, one set 4| is mounted on the rotor between the inlet end of the tank and the center of the tank while the other set 42 is mounted between the opposite end of the tank and the center of said tank. The blades comprising the group 4| are equally spaced along shaft 33 and are provided with a conveyor pitch so that with a clockwise rotation of shaft 30 they will force the feed entering tank I2 toward the center of the tank, while the blades comprising the group 42 are likewise spaced equally along shaft 30 between the opposite end of tank I2 and the center thereof and these blades are provided with a conveyor pitch so that as shaft 30 is rotated clockwise they will force the feed that may accumulate at that end of the tank toward the center of said tank. Mounted centrally within the tank I2 there is a vertical conveyor 50. The conveyor 5|] is formed as a tube 5| supported between the blades and adjacent to shaft 30 and extending to the bottom of the trough area I4 (Fig. 3). The conveyor rotor may be a worm 52 as illustrated in Fig. 3. The conveyor worm extends upward through the tube 5| and at the upper end of the tube 5| therev are provided a plurality of flinger blades 53. The blades 53 are provided to receive the feed that has been elevated by the vertical conveyor and to distribute or spread out the feed as it accumulates at the upper end of the vertical conveyor. Also mounted 4 within the tank I2 is a molasses supply pipe 60. This pipe is positioned directly above the inlet 2| and the pipe may be perforated along its length. The pipe 69 is in turn connected to an inlet pipe 6| which may in turn be connected to a supply tank (not shown) and a valve (not shown) may be utilized to turn on and off the molasses supply as needed. Tank I2 which is illustrated asv a completely enclosed tank is provided with a pair of sacking spouts l0 and H. The sacking spouts are positioned so that II is adjacent to the center of tank I2 while 70 is adjacent to the end of the tank I2 opposite to the charging end. The spouts l0 and II as illustrated in Fig. 3 are connected to the tank I2 externally and are provided with a slide gate I2 so that an operator may position a bag or receiving device directly under the spout and by lifting the slide I2, the mixed feed will be charged through the spout into the bag or receiving device.

The rotor blades 40 as illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are provided with a central hub and a pairof blades 8| and 82 either side thereof. Blade 8| is provided with a paddle shaped end portion 83 and blade 82 is provided with a paddle shaped blade 84 at the end thereof. It is to be noted that blades 8| and 52 are set approximately 45 to the central axis of the shaft 30 to which they are attached by means of the hub 80. It is. also to be noted that although blade 8| extends in one direction it is 45 to the shaft 30. Blade 82 will be at to blade 8| but still remain at 45" to. shaft 30. It .is also to be noted that the ends. 8.3. andM are slightly larger than. the. blades BI. and 82 to which they are attached. This is to provide not only a scrapping action as the blade is rotated through the trough area I4 of tank l2 but they are shaped in this manner to permit a mixing or agitating action rather than simply a conveyor or pushing action. However with the blades set in this angular form they do provide the conveyor pitch and with their rotation the feed that they contact will be not only turned over and: mixed but will be pushed toward the center of the tank.

The operation of the device is quite simple with the structure as described. The ground feed. is. emptied into the collector I5 and with the drive shaft |I operating the worm I! will pick up the feed from the collector forcing it or charging it into the tank I2. With the molasses line 6| open the molasses will be sprayed through pipe 6.0 onto the feed being charged. into tank I2. This initial spray on the feed being charged therein does not form a feed ball. as the rotor blades immediately move and mix the initial'feed charge and the molasses as it is sprayed thereon thus providing a most important agitation to prevent a balling of the feed by the introduction of the molasses. The ground feed and molasses will then be forced by the conveyor mixing blades of the rotor toward the. center of the tank I 2. The mixed feed and molasses will in turn be picked up at this point by the vertical conveyor 50 and the mixed feed. and molasses will be spread out by the. flinger blades 53 toward both ends of the tank I2 andv the mixed feed will fall into the mixing rotor blades and continue to be forced toward the center and the cycle of mixing continued until there is a complete mixture. When the operator believes the mix to be sufficiently mixed he may open either or both of the spouts I0 and II to sack or discharge the mix for use as desired.

Various changes or modifications may be made to this device in the manner of charging or in the general design of the vertical conveyor or in the rotor mixing means without departing from the spirit of this invention and this invention shall be limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A feed mixer which includes a mixing tank. a worm charging conveyor, a collector unit, and a single molasses supply pipe, said mixing tank constructed with converging side Walls and a round bottom portion to meet said converging side walls and a shaft mounted through the center of the bottom portion of said tank, a plurality of rotor blades affixed radially about said shaft and spaced actually, said rotor blad'es divided into two groups each group provided,

with an opposite conveyor pitch, a vertical conveyor positioned at the center of the mixing tank to elevate the mixed feed, a plurality of fiinger blades positioned adjacent to the top of the vertical conveyor to spread out the mixed feed to either end of said mixing tank, means to charge feed into said collector, means to rotate said charging worm, said radial blades and said vertical conveyor in said mixing tank, means to charge the feed into said mixing tank.

2. In a device according to claim 1, a pair of sacking spouts connected to the lower portion of the mixing tank, said spouts positioned adjacent to the portion of the tank Where the feed is completely mixed.

3. In a device according to claim 1 said rotor blades provided with an enlarged paddle shaped scraper end.

AMMON W. STAUFFER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

